Cooling of rolls in continuous casting plants

ABSTRACT

A roller device, which includes a right bearing housing, a left bearing housing and a roller, which is rotatably supported by journals in the bearing housings in continuous casting plants. A cooling medium is passed through an axial bore in the roller, and bores, which form a closed cavity, are arranged around the bearings mounted in each of the bearing housings. A cooling medium inlet is provided in a first of the bearing housings, and a discharge bore for the cooling medium, which is arranged on the end face of a second of the bearing housings, is located next to the bearing cover so that the cooling medium flows into the inlet in the first bearing housing, through the axial bore in the roller and out the discharge bore in the second bearing housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a method for cooling a roller device, whichconsists of a right bearing housing, a left bearing housing, and aroller, which is rotatably supported by journals in the bearinghousings, especially of strand guide rolls, roller table rollers, pinchrolls, support rolls, or driving rolls in continuous casting plants, inwhich a cooling medium is passed through an axial bore in the roller.The invention also concerns a roller device.

DE 42 07 042 C1 describes a device for the coupling of the coolingmedium conveyance of a support or pinch roll, especially for continuouscasting plants, which is supported by means of journals in bearingblocks by roller bearings and through which a cooling medium flowsthrough axial bores in the journals. To create a device of this generaltype with a long service life, which guarantees reliable supply anddischarge of the cooling medium with a structurally simple design in away that allows easy maintenance, it is proposed that each bearing blockis sealed by a cover, that the cover has a flow channel, which isconnected at one end to a coolant supply and discharge and opens in thearea of the journal bore at the other end, that an elastic socket isprovided between the channel mouth of the cover and the bore of theroll, that the head of the socket has a seal, and that the seal is incontact with a sealing surface that is arranged coaxially with the axisof the roll.

EP 0 859 767 B1 describes a rotary passage for the cooling water feedand discharge of a guide roll in a continuous casting plant. Theobjective of this invention is to create a rotary passage of theaforementioned type, whose seal acting between the cover plate and thejournal has a less complicated design than the seal in the previouslyknown rotary passage. In accordance with the invention, this objectiveis achieved by forming the middle part of the seal as an annular,flange-shaped plastic or rubber diaphragm, whose inner edge isvulcanized on the bushing and whose outer edge is vulcanized on theflange. This rotary passage is characterized by its simple design andcompact shape. It can be mounted completely on the end face of thejournal. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to enlarge the axialchannel of the distribution system in the cooling roll in the front endregion of the journal to house parts of the seal therein. The centralchannel can thus have the same cross section along its whole length.

Modifications of a rotary passage are described, e.g., in EP 1 125 656A1 and WO 99/26745.

DE 198 16 577 C1 describes a strand guide device for producing metalstrands, especially steel strands, with upper and lower frames dividedinto segments, which are equipped with rolls, which are connected to acooling medium supply device by connecting lines. To create alow-maintenance, leakproof connection between the rolls and the coolingmedium supply device, which can be easily disconnected and reconnectedon site and can be clearly assigned, it is proposed, in accordance withthe invention, that the rolls are provided with sockets, whose mouthsare horizontally oriented, that the sockets correspond to connectinglines, which are formed as metal tubes, which are connected at one endto the cooling medium supply device and are connected at the other endwith a seal that allows leak-free axial and lateral motion between theend of the tube and the socket.

A disadvantage of the previously known designs of a roller device ofthis type is that the cooling medium is fed and discharged on only oneside of the roll. In this regard, the cooling medium is conveyed throughan axial bore in the roll to the opposite side, where it is deflectedback in the opposite direction, and conveyed through an annular channelto the outlet side, from which there is a connection to a cooling andstorage container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Proceeding on the basis of this prior art, the objective of theinvention is to increase the cooling effect of a roller device of thistype and to improve the assembly and disassembly of the individualcomponents.

In accordance with the invention, in a method for cooling a rollerdevice, which consists of a right bearing housing, a left bearinghousing, and a roller, which is rotatably supported by journals in thebearing housings, especially of strand guide rolls, roller tablerollers, pinch rolls, support rolls, or driving rolls in continuouscasting plants, in which a cooling medium is passed through an axialbore in the roller, this objective is achieved by virtue of the factthat the cooling medium additionally cools the bearings mounted in thebearing housings.

In an advantageous modification of the invention, the cooling mediumenters the bearing housing of the roller device on one side, passesaround the bearing mounted in this bearing housing, then flows throughthe axial bore in the roller to the other side, passes around thebearing mounted in the other bearing housing, and is then dischargedfrom the roller device.

In a special modification of the invention, the cooling medium passesfrom the bearing housing into the rotary passage through a rigid orflexible connector that is flange-mounted on the end face.

In the roller device of the invention, bores are arranged around thebearings mounted in the bearing housings and form a closed coolingchannel.

In an advantageous design of the invention, a discharge bore for thecooling medium is arranged on the end face of the bearing housing and islocated outside the bearing cover.

It is also advantageous that the rotary passage, which is arrangedcentrally in the bearing cover, is connected with a discharge bore onthe end face of the bearing housing by a rigid or flexible connector.

The invention further provides that the rotary passage is detachablymounted in the bearing cover.

In an advantageous design of the invention, the rotary passage in thebearing covers can compensate linear expansion of the roller.

A specific embodiment of the invention is explained in greater detailwith reference to schematic drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a roller device in a perspective view.

FIG. 2 shows a bearing housing in longitudinal section.

FIG. 3 shows the bearing housing of FIG. 2 in a side view (end face).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a roller device 1, which consists of a right bearinghousing 2, a left bearing housing 3, and a roller 4. Connectors 5, 6,which connect the discharge bores with the rotary passages 7, 8 in thebearing covers 9, 10, are flange-mounted on the end faces. The connector5, 6 is detached for maintenance or in the event of a problem. Thebearing cover 9, 10 with the rotary passage 7, 8 can then be removedfrom the bearing housing 3, 4. There is also the possibility of removingonly the rotary passage 7, 8.

The arrangement of the bores 15 for the closed cavity around a bearing13 is illustrated in FIG. 2. The cavity is formed by several bores 15,which are located at a distance from the outer surfaces of the bearinghousing 2. In this regard, the bores merge with each other at an angleor are positioned at right angles to each other. To obtain a closedcavity, individual bores are sealed at the surface of the bearinghousing 2. The cooling medium is introduced into the bearing housing 2on the underside, flows through the cavity, which is arranged around thebearing 13, and arrives at a discharge bore on the end face of thebearing housing 2. FIG. 3 shows the end face of a bearing housing 2. Thedischarge bore, which is arranged on the right side, next to the bearingcover 9, is connected by a connector 5 with the rotary passage 7. Therotary passage 7 is centrally located in the bearing cover 9.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

-   1 roller device-   2 bearing housing, right side-   3 bearing housing, left side-   4 roller-   5 connector, right side-   6 connector, left side-   7 rotary passage, right side-   8 rotary passage, left side-   9 bearing cover, right side-   10 bearing cover, left side-   11 roller journal, right side-   12 roller journal, left side-   13 bearing, right side-   14 bearing, left side-   15 bores

1. A roller device, which consists of a right bearing housing, a leftbearing housing and a roller, which is rotatably supported by journalsin the bearing housings in continuous casting plants, in which a coolingmedium is passed through an axial bore in the roller, and bores, whichform a closed cavity, are arranged around bearings mounted in each ofthe bearing housings wherein a cooling medium inlet is provided in afirst of the bearing housings, and a discharge bore for the coolingmedium, which is arranged on an end face of a second of the bearinghousings is located next to a bearing cover so that the cooling mediumflows into the inlet in the first bearing housing, through the axialbore in the roller and out the discharge bore in the second bearinghousing.
 2. The roller device in accordance with claim 1, wherein arotary passage, which is arranged centrally in the bearing cover, isconnected by a rigid or flexible connector with the discharge bore onthe end face of the second bearing housing.
 3. The roller device inaccordance with claim 2, wherein the rotary passage is detachablyconnected with the bearing cover.
 4. The roller device in accordancewith claim 2, wherein the rotary passage in the bearing cover cancompensate linear expansion of the roller.